The first driver education course (that included classroom and behind-the-wheel
instruction) was taught in 1935 at Pennsylvania State College High School. On the road, one student would drive while three rode as observers. By 1940, over 20 states had courses of study,
and several hundred high schools had begun teaching driver education.
In Michigan, the fall of 1955 saw a record high number of traffic
fatalities. Although the legislature had adjourned for the year, the governor called the
legislature back for a special session. The result was that Michigan became the first state to pass a
driver education law and the first state to establish a Highway Traffic
Safety Center. By 1956, Michigan school districts were providing driver
education courses for all students--public and private.
Driver education in Michigan saw few changes for the next 40 years. Then in 1997, it joined several other states in establishing graduated driver licensing. The GDL program consisted of three licensing levels and two courses: Segment 1, requiring 24 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours behind-the-wheel instruction; and Segment 2, requiring 6 additional hours of classroom instruction. Both courses end with a written State exam. Between level 1 and 2 licenses, parents mentor their son's/daughter's driving for 50 hours.
